Seating arrangement



June 1959 A. MAUSER 2,891,601

SEATING ARRANGEMENT Filed Jan. 14, 1957 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lA/VE/VTUR 4%. Ma L015 621 n 1959 A. MAUSER 2,891,601

SEATING ARRANGEMENT v Filed Jan. 14. 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 2 wvmvm .41, Maw 81 June 1959 A. MAUSER 2,891,601

SEATING ARRANGEMENT Filed Jan. 14, 1957 3 sheetsfsh'eet //v VENTUR United States Patent SEATING ARRANGEMENT Alfons Mauser, Koln-Ehreufeld, Germany Application January 14, 1957, Serial No. 633,942

'11 Claims. (Cl. 155-130) The present invention relates to seating assemblies, and more particularly to seats arranged in rows as are employed in theatres, auditoriums and like buildings.

More especially, the invention is directed to a seat structure provided with an arm rest element serving as a common support for adjacent arms of persons sitting in adjoining seats in what is termed staggered rows.

In the known row seating arrangements having staggered seating elements and arm rests, an objectional feature is that in most instances, instead of conserving space, a greater area is required, especially when the rows are disposed rectilinearly. Hence, it was necessary to utilize a wedge-like or slanting disposition of the rows of seats, which as regards total room planning, necessitates a relatively large area. In addition, this type of arrangement is objectionable in that the holding means of one seat must be of different structural detail than that of another seat. In the majority of situations, a mounting for mutual use of two adjacent seats cannot be used thereby requiring double mountings which is undesirable. Furthermore, a uniform embodiment of the several seats was not possible as the special character of the staggered disposition required special forms of seats.

In view of the above objectionable characteristics, the cost of the seating arrangements was quite high, and, it was not feasible to arrange the seats in arcuate rows.

A paramount object of this invention is to overcome the above and other objectionable features existing in the art.

Broadly, to accomplish the objects of the invention, there is provided a seating assembly so constructed that when arranged in rows, persons may sit comfortably with an unimpeded view and persons in adjoining seats may use a common arm rest of relatively large dimensions. In order to achieve the desired ends, the seats of the row are so arranged that the back rest or support of one seat extends behind or overlaps a portion of the adjacent seat thereby disposing the seats in staggered relationship with the back rests free from the structure of the row enabling the back rest to have a wide variety of shapes. By virtue of this arrangement of the back rests, it is possible to locate a common arm rest for two adjacent seats between the seats with that portion of the arm rest disposed between the back rest of one seat and the back rest of the adjacent seat serving as the support for the arm of one person while the portion extending forwardly of the outermost back rest can be used by the person in the adjoining seat.

The staggered arrangement of the back rests permits the seats to be positioned in straight or arcuate unrestricted rows without affecting the independent mode of individual seating.

More particularly, to achieve the aims of the invention, the back rest extends from the front edge of one lateral seat margin to the rear edge of the other lateral seat margin. There is employed a double standard steel tubular r 2,891,691 Ice Patented June 23, 1%59 frame work with the tubular frame for the back rest being so formed that one part thereof telescopically engages the front tube of the double standard whereas another part thereof telescopically engages the rear tube of the double standard thereby ensuring the partial overlapping of a portion of the adjacent back rests.

With the foregoing and other important objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a row of seats embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l with a different type of back rest.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the seats arranged in an arcuate row.

Figure 4 is a top plan view .of the seats arranged in a straight row.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective, partly broken away showing the mode of construction of the framework of the seats, and,

Figure 6 is a view in perspective, partly broken away of a further form of framework.

Referring to Figure l which illustrates generally the invention, the row includes a central seat 1 with seats 2 and 3 arranged on opposite sides of the seat 1 to complete the row and it will be noted that the adjoining seats backrests 4 and 5 overlap slightly as at A.

Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1 with the exception that the configuration of back rests 7 and 8 of the seats 2 and 3 is different, as is readily apparent. This is important in that the back rests may have a wide range of forms without interfering with the staggered arrangement of the seats.

In Figures 3 and 4, I have shown the seats disposed in arcuate and straight rows, respectively wherein it is clearly illustrated that each back rest 4 or 5 extends from front tube or support 9 to rear tube or support 10 of a double standard tubular framework 11. Either the framework 11 or the back rest is provided with an arm rest 12 defined by sections 12a and 12b with the section 12a serving as the support for the person sitting in the seat 5a whereas the section 12b is used by the person in seat 5b. Hence, a common arm rest is used for adjoining seats At the end of each row, a single, simple arm rest 13 is provided at the outer margin of the seat.

According to the angle of rearward intersection or overlap of the back rests, it is possible to determine the front margin of the seats indicated 14 thereby affording the de signer a wide latitude of seat configurations.

It will be appreciated from Figure 1 that a completely independent form of seats is obtained without the requirement of additional space, and, as a matter of fact, the invention conserves space making it possible to have a wider aisle between the rows of seats.

The seats are preferably of the type which pivot upwardly and downwardly and a pivot connection 9A for the seats is carried by the front supports 9 of the double standard framework 11 whereby it is possible to provide a rectilinear axis extending throughout the row as can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 5 shows in detail the double standard framework and the back rest defining members constructed of steel tubing or the like. Back rest 16 includes side members 17 and 17a with the member 17 being of lesser length than 17a with each member terminating in an insert portion 22 of lesser diameter than the members 17 and 17a. The bottom of the back rest is defined by a substantially L-shaped member 17b which is secured to the member 17 slightly above the insert portion 22 and to the member 170 above the insert portion 22.

The double standard includes a front tube 19, a rear tube 21, a supporting foot 20 to which the lower ends of the tubes are connected and a bracing tube 20a extending between the tubes. The front tube 19 is of materially greater length than the rear tube 21 and is provided with an arm rest support 18 adjacent to its upper free end.

It will be seen that to position the back rest on the standard, the insert portion 22 of the side member 17:. is inserted into the upper end of the rear tube 21 while the insert portion of the member 1] is inserted into the upper end of the front tube 19. At the end of the row, the standard is not provided with a rear tube but in lieu thereof, a reinforcing tube 23 is secured to the foot 20 and to the tube 19. a pivot pin or axle 25 projecting through the tube and cooperable with journal means in seats, such as 3 and 4 and which functions to allow the seats to be swung upwardly and downwardly and the pins are located in the same plane.

Manifestly, the above framework is simple both as to structural detail and operation and the seats can be assembled or disassembled in a minimum of time with a minimum of efiort.

In the embodiment of Figure 6, the back rest includes side members 27 and 28 joined by cross member 26 at the upper ends and the side members terminate in insert portions 34 of reduced diameter. A cross piece 32 or bail is secured to the side members in proximity to their lower ends and serves to brace the back rest as well as assist in the shaping of the back rest. A lug 33 having an aperture 33a extends outwardly from the cross piece 32 and the purpose thereof will be later described.

A tube 35 extends outwardly from the side member 28 of the back rest and an arm rest 36 is secured thereto in any convenient manner.

The double standard comprises a front tube 29, a rear tube 39 and a supporting foot 31. The tubes are braced by a cross tube 31 at a point immediately below the upper ends of the tubes. Each of the members 2'7 is provided with a pivot pin 27A and this pivot pin serves the same purpose as the pin 25 shown in Fig. 5.

In this embodiment, the tubes of the standard are relatively short and the portion 34 of the side member 27 is inserted into the front tube 29 of one standard Whereas the portion 34 of the member 28 is lodged into the rear tube 36 of the adjacent standard. in addition, it will be seen that the aperture 33a of the lug 33 is disposed above the upper end of the rear tube 39 and the portion 34- passes through such aperture to further anchor the back rest to the standard.

The connection between the back rest and the standard is etfected below the seat thereby providing a symmetrical arrangement of the back rest frames as well as a simplified supporting standard framework. The standard framework can be prefabricated together with the supporting foot in an inexpensive fashion and due to the simplicity of the standard, the assembly of the seat is quite easy.

f in seat rows arranged behind one another the single sets are placed on a gap, then the middle seat element is constructed for two seats with an arm rest in the middle.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that l have provided a row seating arrangement wherein the seats are arranged in staggered relationship and a common arm rest intermediate adjoining seats serves to Each of the front tubes supports support the arms of the persons seated in a comfortable manner. Due to the simple nature of the framework of both the back rest and the supporting standard, the seats can be assembled and disassambled easily and quickly and the same can be manufactured at a corn paratively low cost. In addition, the seating rows require little room area and it is possible to provide a wide aisle between adjacent rows and the row arrangement can be either arcuate or straight.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showings in the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departuure from the salient features of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A row seating arrangement of the type wherein the individual seats are arranged in staggered relation, comprising a supporting framework having front supports and rear supports, a plurality of back rests disposed in different planes, each back rest including a pair of side members and a member joining the upper free ends of the side members, and means securing the lower free ends of the side members to the front support of one framework and to the rear support of an adjacent framework whereby the back rest of one seat slightly overlaps the back rest of an adjacent seat.

2. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said front and rear supports are tubes and the securing means is a reduced extension on the lower free end of each of the side members.

3. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 2 wherein the front support is provided with an arm rest support serving for adjacent seats.

4. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein an arm rest support is provided on the front support and the means securing the free end of the side member to the front support is above the arm rest support and the means securing the free end of the side member to the inner support is below the seat.

5. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means securing the free ends of the side members to the front and rear supports is below the seat.

6. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein the back rest includes a bracing member secured to the side members adjacent their lower free ends and a lug on the bracing member being connected to the inner support by the securing means.

7. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein each back rest is independent of the adjacent seat.

8. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein an arm rest support is secured to the side member or". the back rest connected to the inner support.

9. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein each front support includes horizontally disposed pin means for pivotally mounting the seats for upward and downward movement about the same axis.

10. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein from a central seat, the back rests overlaps towards the ends of the row in opposite directions.

11. A row seating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein an arm rest is provided for two adjacent seats.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,446,185 Masucci et al. Aug. 3, 1948 2,541,756 Goodman Feb. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 866,991 Germany Feb. 12, 1953 

